Take Action!

On a Personal Level:

Learn what your personal carbon footprint is. Use the Taming-Bigfoot.org website and app to measure your footprint (this was developed by the Local 20/20 Climate Outreach team to apply to Jefferson County, WA, and also a few other local areas.) This is a great snapshot to pick up some of the main items in a carbon footprint, and is great for tracking it over time, but it is not comprehensive. For a more comprehensive one, check out the Cool Climate Calculator. Wondering what your footprint should be? This article notes that  2.1 tons (4630 lbs) of CO2 equivalent per year person is an equitable low-carbon lifestyle allocation.

JeffersonCAN.org offers a wealth of suggestions for lessening our carbon footprint, from inexpensive home improvements to ride sharing. Start with one or two ideas, and then build from there!

And here is a great resource from The Revelator on a 30 Day Climate Action Plan that can be helpful for overcoming feeling hopeless about the climate.

Here is a great graphic on Personal Choices to Reduce Your Contribution to Climate Change from Seth Wynes/Kimberly Nicholas, Environmental Research Letters, 2017.

On a Community Level:

Local Groups Involved with Climate Action

In March 2016, as part of the Port Townsend Community Read 2016 on Naomi Klein’s This Changes Everything, the Port Townsend Library in partnership with Local 20/20 convened a panel discussion on local climate activities in Jefferson County. You can see the video here (parts I and II) and here (part III), or the powerpoints here.  Also here is the handout summarizing the different organizations, with contact information: volunteer_orgs_handout. 

A few other groups not listed in the above include the City of Port Townsend’s Active Transportation Board, and Jefferson County Extension – WSU.

Local 20/20 has two working groups on climate – one focused on climate outreach, and another on preparing for climate change, both of which meet monthly. If you are interested in those, or have other ideas, contact us at CAG@L2020.org. And if you know of other local organizations that should be added to this page, please let us know at that email.

Get involved with the Port Townsend High School Students for Sustainability

Students for Sustainability is a dedicated group of Port Townsend High School students who are taking action to mitigate climate change at their school, in their community, their state, and at a national level.

Educate Yourself

Visit our Climate Change and Impacts page to learn about climate impacts and climate plans locally, regionally/ statewide, and from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Want To Go Further?

Regional Resources

Many communities in our area are also embracing Climate Action in a big way. Take a look at what our neighbors are doing!

Olympic Climate Action (Clallam County and Jefferson County)
Climate Solutions (Northwest-based)

Ecochallenge.org
Seattle Climate Action Now  is full of information on events, personal actions, energy audits, and community resources.
Skagit Valley Climate Initiative

National Resources

Our local efforts can go only so far. To create real change, we must raise our voices to our lawmakers in Washington. Following are some national organizations that provide information and advocacy:

Cities for Climate Protection
Citizens Climate Lobby
NASA Climate Change Solutions
Climate Reality Project
National Marine Sanctuaries
Center for Climate and Energy Solutions
US Climate Action Network
350.org